Lucy Mack Smith recalls Oliver Cowdery meeting the Smith family for the first time in the spring of 1829.
Lucy Mack Smith, History, 1845, 140–144, The Joseph Smith Papers website, accessed June 20, 2024
In a short time after our arrival from Harmony, a man by the name of Lyman Cowdery came into the neighborhood, and applied to Hyrum (as he was one of the Trustees) for the district school. A meeting of the trustees was called, and Mr. Cowdery was employed. But, on the day following, this Mr. Cowdery brought his brother, Oliver [Cowdery], to the trustees, and requested them to receive him instead of himself; for as circumstances had transpired which compelled him (Lyman) to disappoint them, or, that would not allow of his attending to the school; and he said, that he would warrant the good conduct of the school under his brother<’s> supervision. The [3 words illegible] trustees being satisfied with this arrangement, Oliver commenced his school; and came to our house to board. He had been in the school but a short time, when he began to hear concerning the plates from all quarters; as and as soon began to importune Mr. Smith upon the subject; but did not succeed in eliciting any information for considerable length of time: at last he gained my husband’s confidence so far as to obtain a sketch of the facts relative to the plates. On receiving this information he told Mr. Smith, that he was highly delighted with what he had heard; that he had been in a deep study upon the subject all day, and it was impressed upon his mind, that he should yet have the privilege of writing for Joseph; furthermore, that he had determined to pay him a visit at the close of the school, which he was then teaching.
The next day he said: “The subject upon which we were yesterday conversing, seems working in my very bones, and I cannot for a moment get it out of my mind— finally, I have resolved on what I will do: Samuel, I understand, is going down to Pennsylvania to spend the spring with Joseph, and I shall make my arrangements to be ready to accompany him thither, by the time he recovers his health; for I have made it a subject of prayer, and I firmly believe that it is the will of the Lord that I should go— if there is a work for me to do in this thing I am determined to do it.”
Mr. Smith told him that he supposed it was his privilege to know whether this was the case, and advised him to seek for a testimony for himself; which he did, and received the witness spoken of in the Book of Doc. & Cov. <Sec. 8>
From this time, Oliver was so completely absorbed in the subject of the Record, that it seemed impossible, for him to think or converse about anything else.
As the time was now drawing to a close for which we had agreed for the place, we began to make preparations to remove our family and effects to the house in which <Hyrum> resided. We now felt more keenly than ever the injustice of the measure which had placed a landlord over us on our own premises; and which was about to eject us from them.
This I thought would be a good occasion for bringing to Oliver’s mind the cause of all our present privations, as well as the misfortunes which he himself was liable to, if he should turn his back upon the world, and set out in the service of God: “Now Oliver,’ Said I, “see what a comfortable home we have had here;— what pains each child we have had, has taken to provide for us every thing necessary to make old age comfortable and long life desirable: here, especially, I look upon the handy work of my beloved Alvin [Smith], who, even upon his death bed, and in his last moments, charged his brothers to finish his work, which was to prepare a place of earthly rest for us; that, if it were possible, through the exertions of the children, our last days might be our best days; indeed there is scarcely anything which I here see that has not passed through the hands of that faithful boy; and afterwards by his brothers been arranged precisely according to his every plan: thus showing to me their affectionate remembrance, both of their parents, and of the brother whom they loved. All these tender recolections, do render our present trial doubly severe; for these dear relics must now pass into the hands of wicked men, who fear not God, neither do they regard man. And upon what righteous principle has all this been brought about? Have they ever lifted a finger to earn any part of that which they now claim? I tell you they have not. Yet I now give up all this for the sake of Christ and salvation; and I pray God to help me to do so, without a murmur or a tear:— And in the strength of God I say, that, from this time forth, I will not cast one longing look upon anything, which I now leave behind me. Yet, in consequence of these things, Oliver, we cannot make you comfortable any longer, and you will be under the necessity of taking boarding somewhere else.”
“Mother,’ exclaimed the young man, “let me stay with you, for I can live in any log house hut, where you and father live; but I cannot leave you; so do not mention it.”
In April Samuel and Mr. Cowdery set out for Pennsylvania. The weather, for some time, had been very wet and disagreeable,— raining, freezing and thawing alternately, which rendered the roads almost impassable, particularly in the middle of the day; yet Mr. Cowdery was not to be detained, either by wind or weather; and they persevered until thy reached Joseph’s.
Joseph had been so hurried with his secular affairs, that he could not proceed with his spiritual concerns as fast as was necessary for the speedy completion of the work— there was also another disadvantage under which he labored: Emma had so much of her time taken up with the care of her house, that she could write for him but a small portion of the time:— In consequence of these embarrassments Joseph called upon the Lord, three days previous to their arrival, to send him a scribe, according to the promise of the angel; and he was informed that the same should be forth coming in a few days. Accordingly, when Mr. Cowdery told him the business upon which he had come, Joseph was not at all <surprized> disappointed.
They sat down and conversed together till late bedtime; and during the evening, Joseph told Oliver his history, as far as necessary for his present information, in the things which mostly concerned them him. And the next morning, they commenced the work of translation; in which they soon became deeply engaged.
One morning they sat down to their work as usual, and the first thing which presented itself through the Urim and Thummim, was a commandment, for Joseph and Oliver to repair to the water, and attend to the ordinance of baptism. They accordingly did so; and, as they were returning to the house, they overheard Samuel, who was engaged in secret prayer. Joseph said, that he considered this as a sufficient testimony of his being a fit subject for baptism; and as they had now received authority to baptize, they spoke to Samuel upon the subject, and he went straitway to the water with them and was baptized. After which they proceeded with the work of translation as before.